Former Super Bowl champion and college football analyst Aaron Taylor fights sleep apnea. Taylor wants people to know they don’t have to suffer. He is successfully treating his sleep apnea and he’s seen a significant improvement in his health and quality of life.
Because of their large size, football players have a higher risk of sleep apnea. It’s important that they’re evaluated by a board-certified sleep medicine physician.
At age 36, Taylor would wake up in the morning feeling tired and unrefreshed even after a full night’s sleep. Taylor had also been a snorer since high school. So he went to see a sleep physician and learned he had sleep apnea through a sleep test. Taylor uses a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask to treat his sleep apnea.
Taylor’s former teammate and friend, Reggie White, died in 2004 at the age of 43 from a cardiac condition. Sleep apnea contributed to the deterioration of White’s health and, ultimately, his death.
Taylor is promoting awareness and treatment of sleep illness. He’s working with the AASM to share his story.
Treating sleep apnea has been shown to decrease blood pressure, improve cognitive function and concentration, and reduce irritability and depression.
Learn more about the risk factors for sleep apnea and determine your Snore Score at www.sleepeducation.org. You can also find your local AASM-accredited sleep centers.
